Research
Research
Research covers two separate systems: unit tier research, which unlocks higher tiers of each unit, and the national research focus, a country-wide bonus line managed by the government.
Unit tiers
Every unit exists in numbered tiers. Tier 1 of Light Infantry is always available; every other tier is locked until it has been researched. Tiers form a tree: a tier can require another unit's tier as a prerequisite, and the train button shows what is missing ("requires X research tier N").
- Research runs from the country's Research Queue: click a tier to start it, queue several, or cancel one (progress is saved).
- Each tier has its own research time.
- Once a tier is unlocked it can be trained in any district with the right production building; see each unit's page for what changes between tiers.
National focus
The national focus is a set of six bonus lines, each with levels:
- Artillery Range
- Fortification Speed
- Resource Production
- March Speed
- Detection Radius
- Training Speed
- Only one focus is active at a time. The active line gains every hour and its cost is paid from the national wallet; all other lines decay every day.
- Progress is relative to the world average: a country below the average gains faster and pays less, a country above it gains slower and pays more.
- Only the Minister of Research or the President can set or cancel the focus. Cancelling leaves no active focus, so all six lines decay.
- If both the Minister of Research and the President seats are vacant, the levels are kept but none of the bonuses apply, research stops progressing and every focus decays.
- Research level is one of the country ranking metrics, and a research boost can be bought with diamonds.